No Oil Feed to Cylinder Head

[NorthernRob]

Hi All again.

Changed the cylinder head today from 1.8 M10 E21 to 1.8i M10 E30.

The car ran fine for 15-20 mins, reved cleanly, idles smooth, all round winner.

UNTIL, Oil pressure warning light came on (after 20 mins).

Have changed the oil pressure switch for one that works. Still light on.
Further investigation showed no oil is getting through or into the spray bar, it appears no oil is getting to the cylinder head at all.

All gaskets inthe change were identical to the ones that came out.

Have removed the sump and the oil pick up gauze is clear.
Has any body an ideas as to what else it can be?

Also when transfering the head internals, from memory the rocker shaft on the inlet side had a central piece only half its length, the exhaust side has internal full length, coudl this of moved and be blocking oil channels. Does this sound possible.

If anybody can offer any help it would be great? it seems odd that the car ran fine for 15-20mins, and then the light came on.???

Please Help.
Rob.
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[drjim]

Doesn't sound good.

I am trying to remember how the M10 feeds oil to the top end, but mind blank at the moment.

Don't run it any more, be patient, Murran and co will be along in due course. As a mere semi amateur tinkerer I know when you need a pro!

[murran]

wierd one there. im not familiar with m10s. drjim superceeds me here lol.

[Jeroen]

Believe there are different versions of the M10 head. Did the oil channels match?

Once had a strange problem with a M20 that sounds similar. Appeared to be an air lock inside the oil filter. Went ok for a while but then the light came on and no oil at the top end. Poored oil on the cam and rockers, filled up the oil filter with oil as much as possible and it was ok.

[drjim]

Have you been at the bottom end at all - could the pump be the problem. Also check the oil filter as Jeroen says - I had a similar oil light problem with the slug which was due to a missing rubber o ring on the oil cooler take off plate leading to all the oil going on the floor of the workshop!

I have a Haynes book of lies here somewhere, I'll have a look and see if I remember anything useful. the oil does flow down the rockers/cam as I recall. I suspect you need to take it apart again.

[NorthernRob]

Yep, all oil / water channels / gaskets were identical.

Odd that it ran perfectly for 15 mins which has really confused me.
Ticked over, started, stopped etc, ran super smoothly, oil levels all fine.
When it came to backing it out for a test drive around the block the oil light appeared.

The oil pump will be getting further investigation tommorow. Could tis of gone?

Next to the oil pump is what appears to be a spring loaded oil feed tube, that heads up towards the oil filter.
Although spring loaded this feels a bit loose, is this a pressure valve, or a feed up to the head?
I half filled the oil filter before fitting so may of got an air blockage.

Really stuck with this one, as are all the experienced mechanics in the workshop where i go to use space/tools/lifts etc.
Who on the forum would be best to pose a few more questions at?

On the plus side, For the 15 mins the car ran it ran beautifully, my head work seems to of worked a treat.

Thanks
Rob

[NorthernRob]

thanks drjim,

you replied as i was.

Sump is off now.Oil pump will be test somehow tommorow.

Do you recal any shafts inside the rocker shafts, one full length, one half? A real tight fit so cant see how oil would feed down there?
Oil feeding through the cam would make a little more sense, but even with exploration of the old head and with the rocker off we are stuggling to see how the oil gets up to the head.

I wont run it until we get oil flowing up to it. and if turning over will keep the oil can to hand.
I havent got a haynes for the M10, as have been using autodata for the head change, but its not offering me anyhelp on this one. Anything you find would be great.

Thanks.
A very puzzled Rob.

[drjim]

The spring loaded tube is the oil pressure relief valve. Stops it getting too high. If that's loose then the pump will squirt oil around inside the sump but it won;t get up the oil ways. That could be the problem.

[NorthernRob]

When i say loose. It still has spring pressure - if you push with finger pressure it easily lifts, and returns to the lower pressure.

But it can be easily be moved sideway by say 10mm each way (from memory after poking it a bit a few hourse ago).

How 'should' it work? Is this a replaceble part?
Obviously everything is replaceable, but is it a simple off and part?

[tyson 320i/323i]

maybe the fact that the engine was "sealed" before running meant that air got trapped in the oil galley's. maybe if it were running and you "burped" it by removing the oil fill cap the air would have a chance to escape. you could also try "priming" the pump, by putting some oil in the head and seeing if that gets it flowing. this is a weird one for sure

[drjim]

I got a new oil pump from GSF when I built the slug. Cost 40 quid, NLA last time I looked. It came with various bits which I stuck together using trial and error, then stuck it to the bottom of the engine. I think it was luck alone that got me a working oil pump!

I can't remember how the relief valve went together, the Haynes book just shows a little piston on a spring sitting in a tube. I think it was so obvious that even a semi competent mechanic like me managed to get it right.

Not much help I'm afraid!

[NorthernRob]

Does the haynes explain whether the oil runs through the cam or the rocker shafts?

The piston seems to be just that, a spring in a tube with a circlip, not sure theres much here that could go wrong.

Think oil pump will be by next point of call.

Does the oil pump, pump from the sump, through the filter, to the head? Anns then through cam etc?

[drjim]

it doesn't specify how the oil flows, but does say that the rear of the inlet rocker shaft is open, but the rear of the exhaust rocker shaft is closed with a plug.

I think the oil comes up through the block into the head, then via the bearings in a banjo type setup to cam/rockers - I have a feeling the end of the inlet rocker being open feeds oil to the dizzy drive gear and the oil pressure sensor. If you have your old head there you can check that. If you have the closed end on the wrong rocker shaft then you need to start again I'm afraid.

If you've had the oil pump off, did you replace an o ring on the pressure relief valve. As I recall mine had some silicon sealant in it as well (see previous post!).

[NorthernRob]

HAvent had the oil pump off, hadnt touched the bottome end until we dropped the sump off after problems had started.

Ahh - this seems to back up my thinking of the 'plug' in the rocker shaft being in the wrong place.

Bare with me on this one.....
So the plug on the inlet shaft is maybe 50% of the rocker shaft length, this could have moved as i was inserting the shaft back into the head & rockers etc.
Meaning instead of the inlet rocker shaft, dizzy end being open, and supply oil to the pressure switch it is in fact blocked with the plug that has moved.

i think this is far more likely, i.e. i messed up assembling the head....rather than the oil pump going bang in a well serviced 70K motor?

ok - now the fix - this 'plug' moves/has moved within the rocker shaft. Rather than lift of the head again, or even lift out the engine to get access to it.
Im going to remove the Dizzy plate end, fabricate a plate to fix to the head with m8 nut tacked onto it inline with the rocker arm, then use a steel shaft inserted into the shaft against the plug, screwing a thread through the welded bolt will press the 'plug' back up to the other end of the rocker shaft.

Does it look like the oil is fed into the rocker shaft in the middle of the inlet side rocker shaft? So if i press the plug to passed the halfway mark oil should start flowing again? This makes sense in my head.

What o you reckon jim? Make sense?

Cheers Rob.

[drjim]

I think you need to get hold of someone who knows for sure how it should work then decide.

Your pressing idea would move the plug inside but it'd not be right.

If it's not right it is liable to break and all your hard work will be wasted.

I think taking the head off is the only safe option.

Clearly nobody on here knows exactly what is wrong, you could try phoning someone who knows about M10 engines like the world famous Lester Owen or email topend/metric mechanic/ireland in the states.

Stop and wait until you know for sure what is wrong, a few more days is not the end of the world!